Here's Our Pick of the 10 Hottest West Coast Startups In 2013

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This article was published on January 4, 2013

Image by: Getty Images

As we start 2013, people want to know what the hottest thing in technology will be. We’ve already looked at some of the startups to look out for in Latin America, Southeast Asia, China, and the East Coast of the United States. Now let’s look at 10 startups along the West Coast that could be big in 2013.

While some might think of Silicon Valley as being the heart of the tech world, the West Coast has several areas with numerous startups and tech companies, including Seattle, Los Angeles, and Portland. These are not presented in any particular order.

1. Tracks.by

Started by two members of the #DominateFund, Matt Schlicht and Mazy Kazerooni, Tracks.by is a service geared towards helping artists and musicians release their new music and videos in a way that relates to the social media crowd. As former members of UStream.tv, Schlicht and Kazerooni bring with them their experience helping artists like Lil’ Wayne, the Far East Movement, and others take advantage of social media and engage the community beyond what was normally done through record labels.

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This Y Combinator alumnus has also launched a spin-off service called Hipset, which claims to make sure you “never miss the hot new songs, videos, and other content” from your favorite artists that you’ve Liked on Facebook. As TechCrunch’s Josh Constine reported, Hipset is the consumer/fan destination while Tracks.by is for musicians and artists.

With music services wanting to take advantage of social media, Tracks.by could strike it big in 2013 to help take on other companies like Myspace, Spotify, and others — or it could do the reverse and build relationships with them and integrate their features to give fans a more immersive experience.

➤ Tracks.by

2. Postmates

Started originally as a means to use mobile technology to have things delivered — think Uber for courier service — Postmates launched a new service that seems to have done well in 2012. Popular delivery service Get It Now took off this past summer and the idea is to have anything you want delivered to you within an hour. The limitations of the service include its inability to expand beyond the borders of San Francisco and that the delivery fees could be difficult for some to comprehend using, but there is no discounting how useful a service like this is.

Not too long after Get It Now launched, courier service TaskRabbit started its own on-demand delivery service in San Francisco, competing directly with Postmates. However, TaskRabbit’s service only runs between 9am and 10pm on seven days a week, while Get It Now doesn’t have the time limit.

In 2013, Get It Now looks to expand beyond San Francisco and says it’s “rapidly expanding into new markets.” Currently the service is only available on iOS devices. The service is currently looking for a team to help launch an Android version of the app.

➤ Postmates

3. Brit + Co.

Started by Brit Morin, Brit + Co. is intended to be a lifestyle brand that will teach the digital generation “creative solutions for their online and offline lives.” Many people consider Morin to be “Silicon Valley’s Martha Stewart” and if you follow her on Twitter, you’ll understand where that comparison comes from. The site has already attracted more than 3 million people since its debut in 2011. It has partnered with tech and lifestyle brands like Intel, Fab, L’Oreal, YouTube, UNIQLO, Alloy Media, 3M, Nikon, and others.

In September, the company launched its mobile apps, allowing fans and users to follow along while reading daily dispatches of home and lifestyle issues, but with a technology spin to them. Brit + Co. also began moving into e-commerce with its ‘Brit Kits’, monthly deliveries of supplies and materials for customers to have their own “do-it-yourself” kits. It’s a subscription-based model that runs for $19.99 per month.

There will most likely be more to come from Brit + Co. in the world of e-commerce in 2013. In addition, Morin is scheduled to be a regular technology correspondent for a nationally syndicated show on ABC.

➤ Brit + Co.

4. Nest

Nest is a thermostat that allows you to control the temperature in the room or throughout the whole hour right through your mobile device. No longer will you need to get up to adjust the temperature — instead you can do it right from something you have on you practically every waking hour.

Nest is available in 600 Best Buy retail...